The President and Vice President, Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas, remained outside the country at the same time, for more than 24 hours. The absence could exceed 30 hours, since Glas plans to return this afternoon after a three-day trip to China and Correa departed for Argentina on Tuesday night.

The president attended a formal ceremony yesterday to receive his thirteenth honorary doctorate.

The National University of Cordoba, in the city of the same name, conferred upon him the doctoral degree for his “humanistic conception of the economy” and having ‘strengthened’ public education policies in Ecuador, said the president of the university, Francisco Tamarit.

President Correa thanked the recognition and said that he accepted it on behalf of the Ecuadorian people. Meanwhile, the Vice President yesterday ended his visit to Beijing, China, with banking and political meetings.

According to a bulletin of the Vice Presidency, Glas spoke with the presidents of the developmen, Industrial and Commercial banks of that country. The latter is the “world’s largest bank,” according to the source.